IT'S PROBABLY ALREADY ALTERED YOUR MORNING COMMUTE...

OR TAKEN YOU LONGER TO GET HOME AT NIGHT,  BUT THE REALITY IS, THE LAURENT-STREET CONSTRUCTION WON'T BE FINISHED ANYTIME SOON.

IT'S AN ESTIMATED 22-MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT BROKEN UP INTO TWO PHASES. THE FIRST FROM BUSINESS 59 OR RIO GRANDE STREET TO AIRLINE AND THE SECOND PHASE FROM AIRLINE TO SAM HOUSTON. IT'S EXPECTED THE MASSIVE TWO-PHASE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT WON'T BE COMPLETE FOR ABOUT ANOTHER TWO AND A HALF YEARS.

THE PROJECT WILL BE A COMPLETE OVERHAUL TO THE ROAD. UTILITIES ARE BEING REPLACED, AS WELL AS WATER AND SEWER LINES AND WILL THEN BE REPAVED.

BUT WITH ALL THE OTHER CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS HAPPENING AROUND THE CITY AT THE SAME TIME, WHY COULDN'T THIS MASSIVE PROJECT WAIT JUST A LITTLE LONGER? CITY OFFICIALS SAY FOR TWO REASONS, FIRST,  BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF LAURENT STREET AND SECOND, BECAUSE IT'S MORE COST EFFECTIVE TO GET THE PROJECT UNDERWAY NOW.

"Everyday we delay work on a major construction or a street like Laurent, the price of that project continues to go up, the price of fuel goes up, labor goes up, materials and asphalt being shipped in, everything goes up in price. When we have the money available to tackle a 22-million dollar project over two phases, we have to start working immediately." Public Information Officer O.C. Garza said.

GARZA SAYS IT SAVES THE CITY A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THE LONG RUN.

"While we realize it's very inconvenient for drivers, there are alternate routes people can take, and we want to assure businesses and home owners that access to Laurent is still available." Garza said.